


The Arena

by CsjLam, Wolfslick6007



Series: Six phantom thief au [3]
Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Six - Marlow/Moss, 地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)
Genre: DND/Fantasy AU, F/F, Memento Mori/Persona 5 AU, Persona 4 Swapped Six AU, Phantom Thief AU, Spoilers for our AUs, Toilet bound Hanako-kun au, We took our five aus and said “what if we put them together”, and now we’re here, and then Wolf remembered Persona 4 Arena, but generally there will be violence, trigger warnings before each chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:14:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28184490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CsjLam/pseuds/CsjLam, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfslick6007/pseuds/Wolfslick6007
Summary: A world of magic. Two worlds of Personas. One of supernaturals. And one of thieves and the law.All of them have six women in common.And those worlds are about to collide.All brought together to fight in a tournament.The P-1 Grand Prix.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves/Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves/Katherine Howard, Catherine Parr/Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Series: Six phantom thief au [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978057
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	The Arena

**Author's Note:**

> TWs: mentions of scars and injuries

The courtroom was abuzz.

The Dragonborn in the back were taking quietly in their low, rumbled voices. Fauns and Satyrs were talking among the crowd. Humans were chattering excitedly. Many more species were in the crowd such as Tieflings, who were regarded with many cold stares but smiles from royalty, and elves.

They were gathered in the elegant courtroom of the palace for their problems to be heard. Messengers from small towns, those with law problems. All were there to hear solutions from their queens.

This was the first time they could do this in many years.

Their last king, Henry the Eighth, had been a tyrant. A murderer who only cared about power. He had worked with the shadow realm, the world of demons and almost destroyed the kingdom.

He had taken no time to listen to and help their problems. He only had time for his evil deeds.

But now, the kingdom was at peace. Peace under new rulers.

Those six new rulers sat on their thrones, at ground level with their people. They weren’t just random rulers.

They were the six ex-wives of Henry. The ones betrayed and hurt by the man. The ones who had saved the kingdom. They weren’t adorned in dresses, but rather armor and leather.

A man stepped forward and the crowd immediately drifted into silence. “Introducing your queens!”

The queen in gold stood up. Her gold and black armor glinted in the light and the sword and shield by her sides were the same colors. She was a human and a Paladin.

“Queen Catalina de Aragon, the protector!”

She sat down and the queen in green stepped forward. Her clothing was hardly armor, dark green and black leather instead. A dagger hung at her side, a belt with pouches containing tools accompanying it and another one going up more across her stomach. She was a rouge and an elf, but her grey skin shows that she was a shadow elf.

“Queen Anne Boleyn, the shadow!”

Anne traded places with the queen in silver. An elf cleric with silver, black, and white armor and clothing and a rapier holstered at her side. A red hood and cape was draped over her shoulders. You could see a burn scar stretching up the left side of her neck and jaw, also on her left arm and left side entirely. Medical tools were on her other side.

“Queen Jane Seymour, the healer!”

Next was a human, dressed in red and black armor with a touch of silver. The most prominent silver being the silver gloves covering her hands. She stood tall and proud, a battle axe resting on her back.

“Queen Anna von Cleves, the warrior!”

The next queen was another elf. Dressed in pink and silver, more leather than armor like Anne and a little more revealing. A blue belt was around her waist and a blue cloak as well. You could see the edge of the large claw scars that stretched across her front, peeking out from under her clothing. She was playing with a flute in her hands and smiling at the crowd.

“Queen Katherine Howard, the strong!”

And finally was the queen in blue. A human wizard with a knotted, wooden staff her hand. A book was in her other hand and a pink sash hung from the right side of her waist along with the pink scarf around her neck. 

“And Queen Catherine Parr, the wise!”

Cathy sat back down to the cheers and claps on the people. Soon, it died down and as the queens smiled at their citizens, the man spoke again.

“Let the court be in session.”

Hours later, we’ll after court ended, one could find one queen hidden away in the corner of the grand library.

Cathy was hunched over the parchment paper, the light of the lamp next to her illuminating the dark room. She was writing quickly, the words appearing on the page after bursts of consideration that made her stop.

At the same time of her being distracted, a Shadow slunk into the room. Not as in a person, but an actual shadow, the shape of a human creeping across the walls towards Cathy.

Cathy froze in her writing, her head coming up to look around the room, one hand reaching for the staff laying on the table. She didn’t see the shadow at all, but still she relaxed.

Cathy couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across her face. “I know you’re here, Anne.”

The shadow paused before a familiar figure slunk out of it, now standing by Cathy’s side. Anne grinned down at her. “You always seem to know. How?”

“A wizard never reveals their secrets.” Cathy replied easily as Anne sat on the table, making sure not to disturb the many pieces of parchment around them.

Anne didn’t even have to look at them to tell what the papers were about. “The story?”

“Yeah…”

During the time they had taken to stop Henry, they had been on a quest for over a year. A lot happened, including some traumatic and painful experiences. But most of it had been rather fun by all accounts.

And Cathy wanted to tell their stories. Of how Henry betrayed them and the quest itself. Of how they saved the kingdom. So with the others full permission and excitement, she began writing the full length book on their quest.

“What’s got you so troubled this time, Somnolente?” Anne asked knowingly.

Cathy didn't want to mess it up. Especially the traumatic parts. But at the same time, Cathy didn’t want to go to the others, to bring up those traumatic moments.

The others were still trying to break Cathy of that mentality, constantly checking in on her as she wrote to see if she needed help with something from their view that she didn’t want to bring up.

Cathy quietly let Anne see what she was writing.

Immediately Anne’s gaze softened. “You’re at the part when you freed me.”

Cathy slowly nodded, glancing back down to what she had written. “I can’t mess this part up. How you felt afterwards.”

“Oh Somnolente… you can always come ask me how it felt.”

“I didn’t want to force you to think of the memories.” Cathy shrugged simply.

“Cathy, I already told you when you were writing the curse actually being cast. When my throat…” Anne trailed off, shaking her head. “I want the story to be told. And besides… being brought back isn't a bad memory at all. It’s one of the best days of my life.”

Cathy stared at her for a moment before smiling softly and nodding. “Okay… help me with it?”

“Of course. But right now, you need a break! You didn’t eat lunch earlier, trust me, we all noticed!”

Cathy couldn’t stop the laugh. “Which is why you were sent to force me away?”

“You of all people know it. Now come on, the others are waiting for us with food.”

Sure enough, the other four were waiting for them in the dining room, beaming upon seeing the two enter. Kat was up and out of her chair, reaching Cathy, her wife’s, side quickly. Anne made her way over to Catalina, pressing against her girlfriend’s side with a satisfied hum.

“There you are.” She greeted with a laugh, pressing a kiss to Cathy’s cheek. “Did you get caught up in writing again?”

Cathy actually looked sheepish at how Kat knew. “Just a bit. But I’m here now, what are we having?”

The group descended into their usual chatter as they ate. It was little moments like this that they cherished. Usually, their kids and their four ladies in waiting turned council members would join them, but all were out on business at the moment.

Eventually they all finished and returned to the common room they shared together, Cathy content to leave her writing be for the night.

The fireplace roared and things felt peaceful. It was a strange change of pace, not unwelcomed, but still strange. After all, they had been on a quest for over a year until only recently.

“Do you all miss the quest?” Anna asked, arm around Jane’s shoulders. They were the other married couple in the room. (If Catalina and Anne were both planning on changing that soon then nobody needed to know just yet.)

“I miss the adventure of it.” Anne said, voice muffled by Catalina’s shoulder.

The paladin herself hummed. “I do miss it… the danger and pain we could go without though…”

All six winced, a flash of phantom pains hitting the scars and memories they had but they relaxed just as quickly. They were safe now.

“Yes, it was nice. But I think I speak for all of us when I say I’m glad that it’s over. This kingdom deserves the peace.” Jane added, a content smile on her face.

“And so do we.” Kat agreed.

“We still have each other and well… if this kingdom ever needs protecting it looks like we’ll be some of the first to step up.” Cathy acknowledged, eyes closed.

They all drifted into a peaceful lull, happy with their resolution for that brief conversation. Kat took out her flute and began to play at some point, the familiar melody sweeping over the group.

Just then, everything began to spin and blur for all six queens. All of them snapped out of their trances at the feeling. Panic swelled in their chest at such a familiar feeling.

One thing came to mind. Sleep magic or dark magic was being used on them.

But before they could fight back or even fully process the idea, everything tilted.

And then their visions went dark.

~~||~~||~~

“We have a special news segment for you all today!”

The train rumbled down the tracks, heading for London. A girl dressed in blue sat on a seat, notebook in her lap and bag by her side. Headphones were on her ears, the news playing on her phone drowning out the loud commuters around her as she clicked at her pen.

“Today, we’re talking about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!”

The clicking paused for a beat before resuming.

“The group in London that made bad guys confess to their sins by ‘stealing their hearts!’ They took the world by storm and there are mixed opinions on them!”

“Today we brought in a crime expert to talk to us about the case and how exactly these thieves would have made their victims confess. Welcome to the show, Mr. Adam.”

“Thank you for having me!”

“Of course Mr. Adam! Now, let’s start off with the popular question, do you believe the Phantom Thieves exist?”

“I would certainly say so! It’s rather strange don’t you think? Around Christmas we forgot about them for a while, but it looks like everyone’s remembering once again!”

“Yes, indeed! Now, would you say they’re just?”

“Now, that question is a controversial one—!”

Catherine Parr, the girl in blue, zoned them out now. She knew where that conversation was going and she also knew every theory they put out there would be false. There was no way to figure out how they had done it.

After all, Cathy is the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Blackmail, threats. Cathy’s heard it all.

But every one of them were false. The truth was a different reality.

The Metaverse. Palaces and Mementos.

A palace was a person’s desires given shape and form. How they see the world with those desires. It was all based around a treasure, the root of their desires. Their heart.

And stealing that treasure was the truth of how the Phantom Thieves operated.

They would go into the palace, face down the palace ruler’s true self, their shadow, and take the treasure so they would confess their sins.

They didn’t let the power go to their heads, setting up rules such as unanimous votes. They only went after the corrupt.

After another moment of listening to the news, Cathy turned it off but kept the headphones on, muffling the conversations around her. But one right next to her caught her attention as the train began to slow.

“Did you know that their leader actually confessed?!” Another girl on the train whispered. They were watching the news.

“Woah really?! Who are they?!”

“It’s confidential, but rumors are saying it was a teenage girl!”

“No way!”

Cathy hummed, pocketing her phone and getting off the train. At least no one knew she was the leader… she didn’t think she could handle that stress.

“Cathy!” A voice hissed.

Cathy blinked before opening the bag on her shoulder a little more. A furry shape placed its front paws on her shoulders, frowning down at her.

“I couldn’t breath in there!”

“Sorry Morgana.” Cathy chuckled, reaching up to scratch the cat’s jaw. “I thought the great cat thief could handle it?”

“I—! Of course I could!” Morgana hissed, tail swishing angrily. The black and white cat glared at her, but it wasn’t malicious. “But that was hours!”

Morgana was one of her Thieves. He was the one who taught them what they needed to know about the Metaverse and Palaces. He was vital to their team and a member of their little family.

He had accompanied her all of last year like this, hiding in her bag. And when they had moved back to Cathy’s old town… they were too used to it to change the routine. They had even gotten Morgana registered as an emotional support animal.

The cat was just as happy to be back in London as Cathy was.

She had come here last year on probation. She had been framed for assault when the man had tripped. But where she cried and screamed when it first happened, now she was content.

After all, if she hadn’t been arrested, she never would’ve met her fellow queens and thrives. Their own little family.

Ah, that’s right. Queens.

As if the Metaverse hadn’t been crazy enough, reincarnation had been thrown into the mix. All of the thieves except Morgana were reincarnated from the six ex-wives of King Henry the Eighth.

They should’ve hated each other, by all accounts. So much hatred and abuse has taken place in their past lives. But instead of hate, they crafted a family.

Was it through the phantom thievery or the bonds they formed, Cathy didn’t know. She liked to assume both.

But after they had won, defeated the true mastermind of this game, Cathy was forced to be separated from her Thieves.

First, she had to turn herself in. It was for the others’ sakes. And then after she was freed from her three months stay in jail, she had to go home.

Back to her small town hours away from the other thieves. The town that hated her and saw her as a monster. Morgana and calling the other queens had been the only thing keeping her sane and happy.

But she was back. Hopefully for good this time.

Morgana slipped back fully into the bag as Cathy walked the familiar path memorized in her mind. Reaching the house was blissful.

It was Jane’s house. Given to her by her parents so she could live separate from them. (Despite what you think it was not a good deed.) It had quickly become the headquarters for the Phantom Thieves, even becoming an actual home to Cathy, Anne, and Kat.

Cathy still had the key and she carefully opened the door. Five heads swiveled to face her, glee quickly appearing in their eyes.

Kat was the first to reach her, her girlfriend and team navigator. “Can I kiss you?” The girl was asking immediately. At Cathy’s nod they met, sharing a kiss they had been unable to share for the past few months.

“Get a room!” Anne called with a laugh.

“You say this like you don’t try to kiss Catalina every second you get.” Kat teased back, voice sarcastic.

Anne placed a hand over her chest with a dramatic gasp. “My own cousin has betrayed me!”

“Well she isn’t wrong.” Cathy quiped, taking a step back from Kat and opening her arms to greet Anne. Morgana had pushed himself from the bag at this point, just as happy to see everyone again.

One by one everyone greeted her, so happy to see her in person after so long.

“Welcome home!” Jane.

“It’s about time you got to come home!” Anne.

“We missed you.” Catalina.

“Try not to leave us like that again, ja?” Anna.

They sat in the living room, sharing stories and memories and simply savoring Cathy’s return.

“Do you guys… miss being Phantom Thieves?” It was Catalina who asked after what seemed like hours of talking.

“Yeah…” Anne was quieter, looking pondering. “Being Ghost was one of the best things that happened to me.”

Catalina pressed a kiss to Anne’s cheek. “And being Royal was to me.”

“Being Siren was so liberating!” Kat’s eyes had a shine to them as she recalled the time. “I wish I could’ve done it longer.”

Anna nodded to everyone’s agreements. “I know we have to live normal lives, Hound wasn’t going to be forever. But it would be nice just to continue Mementos runs. Blow off some steam.”

“Being Heart was an amazing experience. I find myself missing it more often than not.” Jane admitted with a small laugh.

“All of you were the best Thieves I could’ve ever asked for! And don’t you ever forget that!” Morgana told them proudly.

“Maybe someday we’ll get to do it again. Maybe I’ll be Survivor again. But right now… I think I’m content just to be with all of you.” Cathy stated, turning her head to meet Kat’s eyes.

The entire group was smiling. Cathy always has a way of speaking what was on their minds, no matter how silent the survivor could be.

Before another person could speak, things went strange.

Cathy couldn’t quite explain what happened. One minute, she was smiling at the thieves around her. But then things had blurred and gotten darker. She could hear Morgana yowl and a muffled question from someone. She could still feel Kat at her side, suddenly heavy.

And then, everything went black for all of the queens.

~~||~~||~~

Things were quiet in the rural town. One could say it was sleepy.

It was evening, the sun casting an orange glow over the town and the people heading home or to the shops. Gossipers were speaking quietly, children playing for the last time of the day, shopkeepers trying to sell their items.

A teen dress in gold was making her way down the sidewalk. She was smiling fondly as she took in the town.

Catalina de Aragon had missed this.

She hadn’t wanted to go back to the city, but she was forced to by her parents. But she was back in this small town. The one that had become so much like a home.

“Do you remember the murders?”

Catalina paused in her steps upon hearing that topic. It had been a while since she heard mention of the incident. The two women in front of her continued gossiping.

“Yeah, it was so freaky… I still wonder how their bodies had been placed up on the telephone poles…”

“It was probably a ladder. At least it’s over now!”

“We’re so lucky the police solved the case before that killer could take anymore lives!”

Ah.

It didn’t bother Catalina much anymore. She had heard it too often by this point and it wasn’t like anyone would believe a bunch of teenagers had solved the case.

No, Catalina and the others knew the truth, and that was enough.

What was the truth you ask?

The Metaverse.

Just like the Phantom Thieves, Catalina has access to the Metaverse. Only it was different.

Instead of a person’s desires, the shadows represent their deepest self. The darkest part they wanted to hide. And to access it, you were to enter a tv.

Catalina knew how crazy it was. Yet it’s true.

Her and her friends had used it to solve murders after all. Murders that used the shadow world to its advantage.

The killer would throw people into the tv. Those people wouldn’t accept their shadows, which would go berserk and kill them.

It had been the investigation team’s job to save those people before it could happen. And each person they saved became a member of their little group.

How did they know when a person needed to be saved?

The midnight channel.

A strange show that aired at midnight on nights when it was raining. The tv would go static and show a silhouette of the next target. On later nights, that person would be shown in full.

So, with Personas at their side, the team would make their way through the world, rescuing those kidnapped. All the while searching for their killer.

There had been many twists and turns in the case but they had finally solved it. They had defeated the killer, a persona user himself. (Catalina self consciously rubbed the scar hidden under her sleeve. The one from her fight against him.)

And things went back to normal.

Only… Catalina was forced to go back to the city after it was all over.

That had been the last thing she wanted to do. She didn’t want to leave after finding this group that was much more family than her actual parents had ever been.

They were connected through Personas, their adventure, the bonds they formed… reincarnation…

That’s right, just like the Phantom Thieves were reincarnated, this investigation team was too.

Only, they had different fates. Different fates that led to different personalities.

Catalina. Died.

Anne. Divorced.

Jane. Beheaded.

Anna. Survived.

Kat. Divorced.

Cathy. Beheaded.

But Catalina wasn’t going to worry over her past right now. She had to meet her fellow former queens again. Her family.

The house looked the same as always and Catalina couldn’t prevent the smile crossing her face as she walked up the path. It only grew wider upon seeing who stood in front of the house next door.

Griffin and his daughter, Rose. Both had been integral to the mystery. Griffin had been the lead detective and Rose… Well Rose had been kidnapped at one point.

When Cathy’s parents had been out, which was almost always, Griffin always had checked in on her and Cathy, acting more like a parent than either of theirs had. And Rose was a sweetheart, always curious and friendly.

“Catalina!”

The small girl ran to meet her and Catalina put her bag down to lift her up. Rose was still small enough to be held, but Catalina figured that wouldn’t last much longer.

“Hello, Rosa.”

The little girl began to chatter about how much she had missed her and Catalina listened fondly.

“Well look who came back.”

Catalina met Griffin’s gaze and Rose calmed for a moment, looking between the two with a smile.

“You know I couldn’t stay away long.” Catalina replied with a smile.

Griffin laughed. “We didn’t expect you to. That little team of yours is waiting inside. I think some miss you more than others.”

Catalina blushed at that. She knew exactly who he was talking about. “Well, I shouldn’t keep her waiting then should I?”

“No you shouldn’t. Your friends get you tonight but I expect dinner tomorrow, yeah?” Griffin offered.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Catalina replies easily, setting Rose back down.

“Do you have to go?” Rose asked with a frown.

“I’ll be right next door, Rosa. I’ll see you later and you can come over if you need to.” Catalina let the girl pull her into one more hug. “I’m sure your dad won’t mind.”

“Not at all. We’ll see you later, kid.”

“Bye, Lina!”

Catalina watched them go before stepping up to the house that had so much more like home. She could hear chatter inside and her heart swelled upon hearing the familiar voices she was about to see rather than only hear over the phone.

It was seconds after she knocked that the door opened.

Two bodies hit her at once. Teddie and Cathy.

“Sensei!” Teddie yelled, while Cathy didn’t offer a word, only clutching tighter to Catalina. Teddie was out of his normal blue and red bear mascot suit, revealing the blonde boy with sparkling blue eyes in a white shirt donned with a rose.

“Hello you two.” Catalina greeted, wrapping her arms around them and holding them close, eyes closed in content.

“Don’t leave us again, okay?” Cathy said in her familiar quiet voice.

“This time, I’m here for good.” Catalina said as Cathy and Teddie both pulled back to beam at her.

Jane stepped up as well, grinning widely at Catalina. The other queen was flicking her lighter as she wrapped an arm around Cathy. Catalina smiled fondly at the sight of the couple.

“It’s about time you came home!” The beheaded queen crowed.

“Someone has to make sure you don’t set fires.” Catalina teased gently, reaching forward to hug Jane. The known arsonist rolled her eyes but the grin wasn’t removed from her face as Cathy chuckled.

“Alright, losers! My turn for a hug!”

Pink was pushing past the others and hugging Catalina. Catalina places a hand on Kat’s has and another arm around her body.

“Hello, Gatita.” She greeted, followed by a grumble from the other queen. Catalina didn’t mind. She knew Kat still struggled with sharing her feelings sometimes and that Kat had been attached to her ever since they saved her.

“I hope I can hug my friend too, Kätzchen?” Anna teased and after a moment, Kat moved to the side, letting Anna and Catalina greet each other. Anna moves back to Kat after, letting the pink queen take hold of her hand.

“You two are doing alright?” Catalina asked, smiling at the second couple’s clasped hands. She loved seeing her friends able to be this happy together.

“Yep. Just like you’re doing fine with Anne.” Anna said with a laugh.

“Speaking of which…” Kat smirked as someone else joined them.

Catalina met Anne’s eyes and smiled. “Hi.” She whispered. Anne didn’t offer a response, the detective only moving forward to wrap Catalina in a hug and press a kiss to her cheek.

“I missed you, Catalina.”

Anne Boleyn. Famous detective despite her age and Catalina’s wonderful girlfriend. They had met during the mystery, Anne being the last of their group to join. At the start she had looked up to Catalina with more than respect, calling her ‘Lady Catalina.’ It had been a bit before they got together, right before they had faced off with… him.

Catalina shook away that thought, the scar on her arm tingling.

“I missed you too.” Catalina responded happily.

“Sensei! Sensei! We made dinner!” Teddie announced, pushing past everyone further into the house.

Catalina let out a laugh, turning so her arm was looped with Anne’s as the group followed after Teddie. “And I’m sure it turned out great. Hasn’t Rose started teaching you?”

This was all Catalina wanted. Happy moments like this with those she called family. Their adventure was over but as much as Catalina missed it, she was content with this.

The group talked late into the night, reminiscing on everything that had happened and sharing stories from when Catalina was gone. Catalina could only shrug sheepishly when asked to share her own.

She hadn’t had many friends before coming to the town last year and those friends had simply moved on without her while she was gone.

But that was okay. She knew she had this group always waiting for her, just as she would for them.

It was nearing midnight and things were dying down. The entire group was tired, leaning together in the pile they had created and already falling asleep.

Rain pattered against the roof. Catalina couldn’t stop herself from glancing at the clock.

11:59.

And the others all had the same idea.

None of them could stop from waiting for the midnight channel, even if the case was solved. There was always a fear that one day, it would come back and they wouldn’t save someone because they wouldn’t see.

The entire group knew this. But no one ever quite wanted to acknowledge it.

They waited with bated breath as the clock struck midnight. A beat and then sighs of relief as nothing happened.

“I think we need to get to bed.” Catalina told everyone, ever the mom friend.

There were murmured agreements as everyone stood. But a buzzing caught everyone’s attention.

Eyes widened in shock and horror as they spun back to face the tv. There was static. Just like during the mystery.

But before a silhouette could appear, everything blurred for Catalina. Things spun and swayed and Catalina reached for a hold, managing to place her hand on the wall.

Dots appeared in her vision, growing bigger and bigger. Thuds entered her hearing. The others?

Everything went black.

~~||~~||~~

A file had hit the surface of a desk, being presented in front of a fellow detective in Catherine of Aragon’s agency.

The detail the detective had noticed first was a giant red stamp on the front, which led them to point out, “closing the case off after all this time and work?”

“It’s for the best.” Catherine replied, flipping open the file for potentially her last time.

“I see you’ve finally decided to let this go then,” their companion brought up, “that’s good.”

“Right.” Catherine deadpanned, then proceeded to explain every note in the file once again.

“I just want to go over this one more time, if it’s fine with you.”

“Well, you’re technically still my boss, so go ahead.”

“Thank you, Anna.”

A blur of pink and green dashed across the city’s buildings, two thieves enjoying themselves under the moonlight as the citizens bustled around with their usual duties.

A hook shot across from one roof to another, and a pink figure swung over in quick succession.

The two thieves practically danced across the city, giggling along the way as they maneuvered from one edge to another.

The two thieves were Katherine Howard and Anne Boleyn, a pair of cousins who’d kill if it meant the safety of the other. The pair were once the great phantom thieves of London, but after the Tudor incident, they’ve officially decided to give it a rest.

There was still much injustice in the world, but they’ve done their part. Like a classic fairytale, they stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and although they had to escape the grasp of the law at any second while doing so, they still had fun.

Right now, the two were simply traversing the city for their last time in phantom thief gear.

It was fun while it lasted, but it’s time for them to leave.

The phantom thieves that once roamed the skies of London will vanish from the people’s memories. Any record of their existence will soon fade.

Anne wasn’t particularly glad to watch as all her accomplishments disappeared, but she had no choice. It’s the last bit of justice she could grant the world.

For once, she truly felt free.

The thief who was once focused on their popularity and clout was gone. The thief who everyone aspired to be was gone.

She was fine with it.

She had to be.

At least she was no longer weighed down by her ego, her reputation, her every move.

At last, there were no chains holding her captive.

Her past wasn’t great. Having everything taken from her, having to steal to support herself. But she had to, there was no choice.

The green thief will forever remain as a mystery. Nobody can truly define their actions as good or bad, and that’s all she will be. The morally ambiguous thief who relied on their own wit and grit.

Katherine was glad. Everything has finally come to a close, there were no more obstacles in their path, only a fresh start.

To be honest, she didn’t want to become a thief. 

Katherine did it to keep her cousin out of trouble at first, and as the situation began to spiral downwards, she wanted to quit. She wanted what was best for Anne, and being a thief who had to constantly escape the confines of the law wasn’t it.

Even though she can finally rest, there’s still a small bit of worry.

Letting everything go, starting everything again.

Were they really ready for this?

A future of so many uncertainties, a future where they had normal lives instead. It was Katherine’s wish, but now she’s unsure.

The two landed onto yet another building, but as the pink thief was about to launch off another hook, the other had stopped to observe the city below them.

“....Annie?”

The great phantom thief’s emerald eyes landed onto the crowded streets, her head drooping down as she took a deep breath. Her coat flew as a breeze had hit them both, the tail of it waving as she perched on the edge.

With a reluctant sigh, she turned back towards Katherine.

“How’s your...girlfriend?” Anne asked, hesitating a bit before she finished her sentence.

“Cathy’s doing fine, with this case done, she agreed to get some rest.” Katherine answered with a small smile, thinking back to Catherine Parr, the woman she can finally call her partner.

Cathy and Katherine met way back when the two were attending college, and their friendship had grown into something even more when they graduated. All because of one night. The night that started it all. The night where Anne had made the mistake of revealing her identity of Katherine.

After that happened, the two grew closer, until they ultimately decided to become each other’s girlfriend. It was a dream come true to Katherine at first, but there was a small hiccup.

It all led back to the Tudor incident.

Catherine Parr was a journalist, one who was deeply invested in the case of the phantom thieves. So, it wasn’t all that great for Katherine when she realised she had to hide her identity from her. The phantom thief Cathy searched so desperately for was right in front of her, but she’ll never know of this truth.

After everything that has happened, the two stayed by each other’s side.

Now, Katherine can finally forget about her secret identity. A future with so many uncertainties, at least she has someone by her side.

“I heard Jane’s going to take a break, too. We’ve really tired those two out, huh?”

Ah yes, we can’t mention the Tudor incident without bringing up Jane Seymour.

Jane, the cousin of the phantom thief duo, the journalist who wished to pursue the truth. The one who tied everything together. The missing puzzle piece.

As all of this is reaching its end, these six women can finally rest.

The corrupted tycoon was arrested, all thanks to them.

In their minds, that was the last quest they had to embark. It was all over.

“Are you sure, captain?” Anna asked the detective, who was fixated on the last page of the case file.

There was a card on the last page, along with a photograph under it. A final memoir to the detective leading the phantom thief case. On the card, the green thief had written a declaration to the detective. A simple challenge.

The detective didn’t lift the card up to examine the photograph, instead shutting her eyes as she made her final decision.

“It’s for the best.” Catherine said, closing the file.

“This case, this is the one I’ll never be able to solve.” She mumbled out to herself, picking up the file, then storing it in a drawer.

“Right,” Anna began after the detective had inserted a key into the drawer, locking it up for good, “what do we do now?”

“I...don’t know.”

The two sat in silence. The two detectives who chased the phantom thieves were now in a bind. With the case closed, they wondered what would happen next. All the hard work they’ve dedicated to catching the thieves, only to now give up.

More than a year has passed since the first appearance of the phantom thief.

The chase is finally done.

The two thieves perching on the edge of a rooftop closed their eyes, taking a last sigh of relief as everything came to an end.

When they expected to open their eyes to find themselves still on the rooftop, reality had defied their expectations.

Everything fell into darkness. 

~~||~~||~~

The sounds of footsteps had rang throughout the corridor of Kamome Academy, with the faint noise of chatter between students accompanying the sounds.

Anna of Cleves, formerly the fourth queen of a certain king, was now a student of this supernatural-filled school. Along with Catherine Parr, the last queen of said king and who is now protecting the students of the school as an exorcist, she walked further down the hall, where a bathroom was within their sight.

When the two had first gotten the news of their reincarnation through a series of fated events, they didn’t expect themselves to be queens, but here they were, dressed in their uniforms and still trying their best to get a good grasp of their situation.

It has been nearly a year after the day where Anna had first decided to summon the seventh mystery of the school, Hanako of the toilet, to grant her a wish.

It has been a hectic year for them all.

They were just glad that things were finally starting to calm down. They may never be rid of this paranormal school life, but at least things are finally taking a turn for the better.

As they continued their stroll, Cathy had begun a conversation between the two.

“Anna?” She turned to face the other student, who seemed to be lost in thought as they hung their head low while they walked. The exorcist placed a hand on their shoulder, causing them to twitch back into reality.

“Yeah? What’s up?” She perked her head back up to fix a gaze on the other.

“I…. I just want to thank you,” Cathy began, holding her head up as she continued on with her speech, “it truly has been one hell of a ride ever since I met you two. I wanted to thank you for sticking with me and accepting me as a part of this…. weird little group.”

“No problem, Cathy!” Anna exclaimed with a smile, “I don’t think I would’ve survived this without you by my side! You’ve saved both our asses so many times!”

“Yeah…” Cathy trailed off, continuing with a smug smirk, “don’t go causing so much trouble again, I’m so tired.”

“No promises!” Anna had responded, causing a groan from the other.

“You can’t blame me for all of that! I was only involved in like…. half of those. Kat was the one who got us both in most of them.”

“Well, I guess you have a point.” Cathy sighed, thinking back on the adventures Kat, the actual identity of the toilet-bound ghost, the fifth queen of the king, and the rumoured wish granter had dragged them in. 

The first that appears in her mind is a certain group. The group that had begun everything.

The radio hosts. That’s what they liked to refer to the group as.

It all began with a radio channel. Rumours of different supernaturals and mysteries had spread like wildfire, and since none of these creatures can defy the rumours set for them, they began going berserk, causing harm on innocent students.

The channel was run by someone they never expected. They held only rage and wrath against the seventh mystery, and they led the trio into multiple incidents, some being so traumatising Cathy wanted to erase her memories of it entirely.

Apart from that group, there were a few more students who had tagged along to their journeys, the most important and significant one being Catalina, the student council president, a powerful exorcist and the first queen of said king.

Catalina knew a lot more about the supernaturals than the two, she was someone the two could always depend on. However, she was ruthless with supernaturals, and wouldn’t hesitate in banishing one in an instant.

Let’s just say Catalina didn’t get along with Katherine.

Katherine didn’t exactly get along with anyone, and there are several reasons for people to do so.

Apart from being a ghost who normally can’t be summoned, she had killed someone before her death.

Someone incredibly important.

She didn’t bring up the subject much, it isn’t like it’s easy to do so, so the only phrase she’d repeat when asked about this was,

“I had to.”

It isn’t much of a surprise to say she was distant. 

Cathy supposed that’s all she had to say about her adventures. Too much had happened for her to process, and she thinks she never will.

The two approached the entrance of the girl’s bathroom. Like usual, they were visiting their toilet-bound friend.

Cathy and Anna stood right outside of the entrance.

Things were finally starting to look up again.

Things can finally go back to the way it used to, with Cathy and Katherine arguing every so often, leading to a fight, which Anna would dramatically sigh then proceed to spectate.

The trio wished for things to go back to how it used to be, before they learnt about their reincarnation, before they met the seven mysteries, before the radio broadcast. 

Unfortunately, they’ll have to bear the burden of knowing too much, but they can always pretend.

Everything was good.

They could finally go back to being the trio of friends hanging out in the toilet of all places.

To them, this was the calm after the storm. They can catch their breath, sit back, and relax. They could go back to worrying about normal things, like their grades.

Well…. Their calm doesn’t last that long.

They step into the toilet, readying themselves to face their ghostly mate, but as soon as they step foot into the room, a dizzy spell hits their minds.

There was no warning. No signs. No signals. 

It wasn’t like they summoned another supernatural, it wasn’t like anything they’ve encountered.

A wave of pitch black washed over them, and they had lost their footing altogether.

Darkness consumed their vision.

They are thrown back into another round of chaos again.

They were so close to being free from the craziness brought from the supernaturals, yet they’re now thrown into a completely different world.

Perhaps that was just the calm before the next storm.

~~||~~||~~

Thirty queens all woke up in a strange place.

The walls were black and dark red. The halls seemed to twist and turn.

Every one of them stood up. Some in anger and some in confusion.

Before they could call out, a tv monitor on the walls near each of them flared to life. It was static for a moment as everyone watched in confusion.

“Well, well. Look what we have here.” A familiar voice to one group spoke.

“It looks like we have everyone!” Another familiar voice to a different group agreed. “Hem hem! Greetings everyone from your General and Commander!”

The figures finally appeared on screen.

One was Teddie, now in his familiar mascot suit. Only he was decked out in a cape and hat, a cigar in his mouth and a cane in paw. He was giving everyone on the other side of the TVs a smirk. This was the General.

The other was Morgana. The Phantom Thief’s yellow bandanna was red. He also had a cigar, but it was held in one hand as he sat in a spinning chair beside Teddie. The same hat was on his head and a red cape was on his shoulders as well. The Commander.

Questions came from several of the queens and irritated looks passed both of the duo’s faces.

“Pipe down!” Morgana yowled. “We’re not here for questions and chatter!”

“That’s right!” Teddie laughed. But this laugh wasn’t his usual playful one. It was malicious and sent chills down the spines of listeners. “We’re here for a tournament!”

“A tournament to decide the greatest queen!” Morgana had a smug smirk on his face.

“Friends as foes! It’s time to begin!”

Protests immediately rang out.

“Nyahah!” Morgana laughed. “It’s funny how you all think you have the choice! Some of you want this and others think this shouldn't happen at all. That’s not how this world works.”

Teddie tittered. “This tournament is non-negotiable! So we wish you beary good luck!”

“May the best win.” Morgana said ominously. The TVs clicked off immediately after.

Every person stared in the screens in varying ranges of emotions. Some were furious, some were shocked, some were excited, and some were horrified.

But everyone was confused.

They thought their adventures were over. They thought they would finally have peaceful lives.

That was clearly not the case.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah! We’re doing this! It’s been really fun to work on with Ender and I’m excited to see how the rest goes! (Also, Wolf is big dumb who accidentally posted the chapter before it was ready and had to sprint to do tags—) - Wolfslick
> 
> Both of us really worked hard on this idea, so I’m glad to have this see the light of day! Wolf was such an amazing person to work with, I loved reading their works so I’m very honoured to be able to have this collaboration! (The accidental post made me hold back a wheeze in the middle of a lesson—) - CsjLam


End file.
